East Ottawa homeowner questions ash tree diagnosis

A homeowner in Orleans is worried ash trees in the city might fall to chainsaws before they've even been infested by the emerald ash borer.

The city has been waging a war against the invasive beetle since it first appeared in Ottawa in 2008.

Staff members have been targetting trees for removal on public property, which are either heavily-infested or structurally unstable, and they are also trying to treat select trees with a natural biological insecticide called TreeAzin.

But Ottawa homeowners are responsible for removing infested ash trees on their own properties and few have the experience or expertise to know when a tree is in danger.

'Your ash tree is dying,' flyer says

When Orleans resident Phil Desmarais got a letter in his mailbox telling him his tree was dying, he said he was skeptical.